In his excellent blog, MarshalN recently reported on the equipage and
technique of traditional Taiwanese tea-roasting, alas growing uncommon:

http://www.xanga.com/MarshalN/622557...a-contest.html

There's an interesting parallel with the setup used in Japan's "incense
game":

http://www.japanese-incense.com/kodo-censer.htm

where grain-husk ash is also the damping medium. Instead of a large
tempering volume topped with an open-weave basket of tea, the Kodo setup
makes a fine chimney in the ash, which is then topped with a mica leaf
to support gently warmed incense chips. Spent a fun day doing this about
20 years ago courtesy of the Japan Society of Boston; it would be fun to
try the macro version. Apple wood-smoked Tie Guan Yin? Hickory Anxi
Oolong? Rock Maple Wu Yi? And what about pre-bottled smoke essences for
the toaster-oven set?

-DM